A man was detained by residents near the Kenneth Fire in West Hills, California, after being caught with a blowtorch. The individual, identified as Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, has been confirmed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources to be an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
NEW: Per ICE sources, the man seen in a viral video being subdued by residents & arrested by police w/ a blowtorch near the #KennethFire in West Hills is an illegal alien from Mexico named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody on a probation violation & has NOT been charged…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 13, 2025
Despite the circumstances, Sierra-Leyva has not been charged with arson but is currently in custody for violating his probation.
The incident unfolded when Los Angeles police were dispatched to the 21700 block of Ybarra Road in Woodland Hills following a 911 call reporting someone attempting to start a fire. Shortly after, a fire broke out near Calabasas and West Hills, leading to Sierra-Leyva’s apprehension by local residents.
BREAKING: The man arrested with a blowtorch near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills of California is an illegal immigrant from Mexico and ICE has placed a detainer request on him, according to @BillMelugin_ .
Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva was NOT charged with arson and is “in… pic.twitter.com/6LEcsPrqJf
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 13, 2025
Posts on X have highlighted the event, noting that while ICE intends to place a detainer on Sierra-Leyva, the effectiveness of this measure might be compromised due to sanctuary laws in California.
Note on ICE detainer… “they do not expect it to be honored due to California's Sanctuary State law”
Insanity. @RealTomHoman https://t.co/fYhdAUVCrJ
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) January 13, 2025
This situation has sparked discussions on social media, with some users expressing frustration over the legal system’s handling of the case, particularly focusing on the lack of arson charges despite the presence of incriminating evidence like a blowtorch at the scene of a wildfire.
In most states, the evidence would be enough to charge him for arson. In California, it seems more and more likely that he’ll be released to roam about the country, blowtorch and all.
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